[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 3, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PROMOTING VALUES OF DEMOCRACY AND LIBERTY IN CHINA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Dreier] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to first thank my colleagues 
for their forbearance. I rise tonight to respond to the fact that this 
morning we saw the official beginning of the annual debate on the 
extension of most-favored-nation trading status for the People's 
Republic of China. Quite frankly, the term ``Most Favored Nation'' is, 
to use what is today the vernacular, I guess, a very inappropriate 
euonym, e-u-o-n-y-m, to describe the trade relationship between the 
People's Republic of China and the United States. I say that because it 
simply means that we would be continuing with normal trading relations 
that exist with virtually every other country on the face of the earth.
  Like every Member of this House of Representatives, I am very 
troubled at the human rights violations that we have seen take place in 
China over the past several years. I am very troubled at the treatment 
of Tibet. I am very troubled at the saber-rattling which has taken 
place in the Taiwan Strait. The idea of weapons proliferation and 
transfer to Pakistan and Iran and potentially other nations troubles me 
greatly. I will say that, as we look at every single one of these very 
serious problems, we have to ask ourselves the question: How do we most 
effectively deal with those problems?
  Mr. Speaker, it is extraordinarily obvious to me that the most 
effective way to deal with those problems is to continue to get our 
Western values into the most populous nation on the face of the earth. 
Some are unfortunately trying to equate the People's Republic of China 
with the former Soviet Union. The differences are very, very important 
and need to be underscored.
  The Soviet Union had a policy of expansionism throughout eastern and 
central Europe. At this moment we are up in the Committee on Rules 
talking about the issue of NATO expansion, and obviously, the Chinese 
have not been involved in that. Look at the expansion that we saw by 
the Soviet Union into this hemisphere when through the decade of the 
1980's we struggled with this continued pattern of assistance that went 
to the Communist dictatorship in Nicaragua, exporting its revolution 
into El Salvador and other countries. So the difference is very, very 
important.

  Some people want to create another cold war enemy, Mr. Speaker. We 
should not do that. It would be irresponsible, a major mistake. The 
single most powerful force for positive change in the 4,000-year 
history of China has been the market reforms which have dramatically 
improved the standard of living. I am convinced that, if we were to in 
any way cut that off, we would not be isolating China from the United 
States or the world. What would happen is we would isolate the world's 
only complete superpower, the United States of America, from the most 
populous nation in the world.
  So looking at the allies in that region, we also have to recognize 
that Hong Kong, which will revert to China in just about 3 weeks, very 
strongly supports our continuance of most-favored-nation trading status 
for the People's Republic of China. We have to look at religious 
leaders. Many religious leaders have come forward saying that their 
greatest opportunity to continue expanding their message into China is 
for us to maintain our engagement there.
  So Mr. Speaker, the debate is going to rage on for the next several 
weeks. I am very pleased that I am joined by the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fox), my friend and colleague, and many others in 
this House who understand that trade promotes private enterprise, which 
creates wealth, which improves living standards, which undermines 
political repression. It has happened in the last decade and a half in 
South Korea, Taiwan, Chile, and Argentina, and it is not going to 
happen overnight, but clearly, it will help in China. So let us 
maintain engagement.
  When the resolution of disapproval does come up here on the House 
floor, I urge my colleagues to join in voting against it so that we can 
move ahead in our attempt to get our values, our great values of 
freedom and democracy and liberty throughout the entire world.

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